Taking Revenge
by The Green Woman
Summary: Green with jealousy? Well, half of it's true anyway. I'm green enough, and can probably fit in the palm of your hand. And now that I've got my speech back, you had better believe I am taking revenge on one stupid boy and his angry witch of a lover.
1. Time for my Revenge

I hate Lindys. Now… Maybe the Lindys out there hate Sarah's? Or Marias? Or even Clarisse's. Who knows? I have my reasons for feeling sick to my stomach every time I hear the name, see a face, catch a reference to Lindy. It doesn't matter if she feeds the homeless, takes care of her lover and remains truthful in every aspect of her life.

One can't help but hate the person who takes away her entire life.

Let me introduce myself. I'm Jennifer Selena Miller the third, and I am a frog. Not that I have always been this way, curse it. See, I used to be a girl, just an ordinary miller's daughter. Im not even pretty enough to catch the attention of some benevolent king who might commission me to spin straw into gold. Not that I could have done THAT either. The most I can do is a lumpy linen thread, which is why I stick to lifting heavy sacks of wheat and scooping flour and helping my father where he needs it.

I can't complain… WELL, not about THAT life anyway. But I definitely can complain about being a frog. I didn't do anything but fall in love with a butthole.

See, once or twice a week, I would haul three sacks of flour onto our mule's back, and then persuade him to the marketplace to trade or sell what we could. It was there, inquiring with a barmaid friend, that I met him. He was the loudest and drunkest in the tavern, but who wasn't loud and drunk on a Saturday afternoon? We were introduced, and there was a pull to his smile that drew me.

I should have known he was trouble. The way his friends spoke of him, the way they talked when he wasn't around. A girl has ears, and a mind to think, despite what you might have heard. So I listened and I thought. But there was still the tug on my heart and he played a tune that I couldn't resist. Eventually, he would buy me a beer, we'd talk, and we'd dance. He was hungry for me, though I didn't know it then.

Now, I am pitying myself a bit too much. After all, why should I regret being happy for a time, even if it was all mirages and fake images and lies? I loved, he didn't, seems so simple now. But, loving a stupid boy doesn't change girls into frogs. Unless… well, unless that stupid boy talked to witches too. Now, I am not referring to sorceresses, magicians, or those healing women who seem to reside in every other town to sell you potions and magic.

Witches… well, the term used to be synonymous with sorceress, but about fifty years ago, one witch starting hoarding magic and using it for her personal gain. And that's where all the trouble started. Now witch means a man or woman who possesses magical talent, but uses it to… dark… means. Like this cursed spell that's on me now.

See, witches, when rubbed the right way, could give people things. Charms, potions… spells. Well, these things drove people crazy, made them see visions, made them act strange, but some people couldn't get enough of those visions.

This witch. Well, this witch wasn't happy with me when she saw me turn him. My boy, the one I loved and wanted to be free. I was working him over. He didn't care so much about that stuff anymore. He'd found steady work, and we saw each other once or twice a week. But one night, he went to see her, as he did less and less, and I'm not sure the conversation they had, but he came back and shoved me in the mud. Stupid stupid girl for even THINKING about getting involved.

Thinking I might change his mind, and sneaking from my home late one night, I went to the inn where he slept now, apprenticed to the cook downstairs. Big mistake, catching them at it in bed. Not like I was completely innocent either. But my boy and that awful witch. Well she wasn't happy to see me either, and a flick of her finger shut the door on my face. I saw green sparks for minutes, and everything grew enormous. Well… that's what I thought at first, until I figured out that it was me that shrunk.

I tried to make it to the stairwell, but it didn't happen. That witch scooped me up and plopped me in a jar she must've had. Then she screwed a lid on and set me down on the windowsill. It might have been a more horrifying experience, watching them, listening, but after a few short minutes, I couldn't breathe so well, and the next thing I remember was his voice, whispering that I should get out of here. He didn't want to see me killed, but he wanted his Lindy to be happy, and he wouldn't stop her from killing me.

So I hopped in circles till I fell into a pond of water and could breathe again. It was wonderful until I saw my reflection. Sure… you expect frogs to be green, right, but I wasn't just subtle green. I was more like a congealing rainbow, splotches of pink and black on my back and sides. Even the other frogs wouldn't talk to me, I could understand their choruses now. If I could have understood them as a human girl, I would have blushed to leave my window open at night. Even soldiers and palace boys would have paled at the words.

I got used to it. Time passed, cold weather, warm weather, and once even my father passing, calling my name with such despair, and I could only croak feebly in reply. It rained, it snowed, the sun rose and set. One day, I woke up and stretched as well as I could as a frog. I grumbled for a minute or two and then realized that my words were human. I could speak again!

It was then I knew I could take my revenge, if I found the right people to help me.


	2. Meeting Adam

It didn't take long to find someone. My pond was behind this god awful looking building. There was a rather large family living in it, and one boy, probably a year or so younger than me came to fish, like I'd seen him in the warmer months. Boy was he surprised when I opened up my mouth and said "Hello."

He about fell into the pond, and I laughed, only startling him more. I honestly expected him to run away, but he collected himself, sitting cross legged as close to the water as he could. I sat still with my ugly head poking out of the water, waiting for him to at least say hi back.

"Or not…" I muttered. Maybe it was the pink and the black that looked like some kind of disease.

"No, I'm sorry." He moved so his face was about three inches from the water. "Are you… a god or something?"

I found myself laughing again. He was so subtle, this one. And innocent. That meant that I'd have to find someone else, unless he changed my mind in the next hour. Innocent people can't handle revenge.

"Not even close. It's a long story kid. Short version… People suck."

He actually reached out and picked me up. It was embarrassing, his scrutiny, and when he tried to flip me over and poke at my belly, I shouted at him "GET OFF!"

He dropped me. "Sorry, sorry!"

"God kid, it's called privacy. Last time I checked, you are supposed to at least know someone's name before you start the invasion."

"Would you stop calling me kid?"

"It'd help if I knew your name."

"Alright. It's Adam. And what you said before? People suck? I got the memo already."

"Name's Jennifer. I would shake your hand, but that's not exactly a possibility. You CAN pick me up, if you promise you aren't going to start the dissection."

He reached out, and much more carefully drew me from the water. "What's with the pink and black. I thought Alice was kidding when she said she saw a rainbow frog over here. How come I haven't seen you before anyway."

"Because I wasn't trying to become the next dinner for your family, or some science project. I know the colors are unusual. It's a miracle some bird hasn't picked me from the water yet. Maybe that's why they're there. I have NO earthly idea."

"So… Adam. I get that your family is pretty big, and all. Isn't it time you got out and saw the world. And you could tell me your people story."

"Really?" He seemed over enthused. He had me laughing again. "God, all I need is an excuse to leave this place. I hate it."

"Perfect. Pack up kid…I mean, Adam."

He dropped me, splash, back into the pond. I thought at first he would stop talking to me, till I heard the arguing inside. Under a half an hour and we were walking down a dirt road together. Well, he was walking. I rode on his shoulder.

I wasn't sure how I hadn't known the boy. He lived, after all, on the outskirts of town. Even though everything was much bigger than I remembered, I was used to looking up at the world by now.

"So, ki- Adam, what's your story then?" I corrected the 'kid' at the last second, and he either didn't notice, or pretended he didn't.

"Had a feeling we wouldn't avoid it for long. If I tell you… Well, I'll be angry for the rest of the day, probably. When I can live pretending it didn't happen, then I'm fine."

"I can go first, if you want."

"No, you'd better hear mine sooner. I can get the angry out of my system, at least." He waited a minute, and I didn't object. I was curious now. "Well… My original dad… he wasn't the nicest guy around." He stopped, steeling himself. "He abused me and my sister Kimmy, and our mom. Broken bones, cuts, bruises, the whole bit. I live with that family now, after… Well, after dad pulled a knife on mom and was taken away for murder. He's dead now too, I'd imagine."

I could feel him shaking from my vantage point, and saw also that his fists were balled around the sack he carried with us. I was very glad I hadn't let him carry me in his hand, like he'd wanted to.

"And those people, they collect kids with a twisted idea that the more they take in, the more beneficial they are, when half the time they don't have the time or the money or the care to keep us. I've wanted to leave to find Kimmy ever since I turned fifteen, but they kept me there with threats and bribes and whatever they could. I just didn't have the guts, I guess. Still feel like the rest of those kids need me too." He stopped talking, and I didn't press him further. We walked on as the sky faded into orange and purple sunset.


End file.
